Aug 22, 2014

Text-to-911

By the end of 2014, US carriers will be
required to route all of our emergency texts to 911. The Federal
Communications Commission voted 3-2 to require all mobile carriers
to route text messages sent to 911, to local emergency response
centers, just like phone calls.

The problem is most emergency services agencies are not yet equipped
to receive them.

The big four operators have already implemented text-to-911
voluntarily, but many smaller operators have not. In fact, only
about 2 percent of 911 response centers are capable of receiving
SMS, so most emergency messages just get sent into the cloud.

The FCC also now requires messaging apps linked to phone numbers
must all support 911. That means an app that works within the
phone’s SMS client must be able to send 911 texts, but a social
messaging app like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp does not. Am
having difficulty understanding how someone with a phone finds it
easier to text than to call, especially when 911 usually requires
a series of questions and answers.Thumbs may not be
faster than lips, but apps like EVA, SIRI, Skyvi, and Jeannie,
etc. might be more linguistically understandable.